Swing



Dec. 22,1925. l 1,567,010

H. H. sPEcK SWING Filed Jam 2.v 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l )wm/w Alm/v A5)/ iDec. 22 1925. "1,567,010

H. H. SPK-:CK

SWING Filed Jan. 2. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 hm A. WL,

A fr0/PNE YS,

Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN H. SPECK, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO; JOSEPI-IINE SPEGK EXECUTRIX OFSAID HERMAN H. SPECK, DECEASED.

SWING.

Application filed January 2, 1923.

T0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HERMAN H. SPEGK, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati,county of Hamilton, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Swings, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the drawings accompanyingthis specification.

My invent-ion relates to swings, such as are used at amusement places7public parks, and the' like, and consists essentially in a merrygo-rounddevice, which supports a set of swings, in which the operation of theswings is the driving power for the merry-go-round.

Among the objects of my invention are the provision of a simplyconstructed device of the character noted, and one inwhich any one orall of the swings act as motive power'for the whole structure withoutinterference with each other, and in which any one of the swings maystand still, with one or more others moving.

It is my object to so arrange the gearing devices that the device isrevolved in but one direction by the motion of the swings in bothdirections and also to provide a suitable structure for easy movement sothat excessive work on the swings will not be necessary.

I accomplish my objects by that certain construction and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the whole device. Figure 2 is a detailvertical section showing the antifriction support for the re volvingplatform.

Figure 3 is a detail vertical section taken through one of the drivinggear units.

Figure 4 is a detail side elevation of a gearing unit.

Figure 5 is a side elevation taken from the opposite side to Figure 4showing the circular rack device also.

My device is preferably constructed with a base formed of cross beams 1.1, on which is mounted aI central post 2. This post wil] serve tosupport a canopy 3, if desirable.

Mounted in suitable blocks 4, 4, in the base beams are rollers 5. 5,preferably two or more interspaced rollers in each cross beam. AThere isa central block 6 of wood or metal at the junction of the cross beams,

Serial No. 610,136.

about which are mounted in suitable bearings the horizontally disposedrollers T, T. There are the desired number of upright posts 8, connectedtogether by an annular member 9, which may be of wood or metal` or woodfaced with metal. At the inside of this annular member is a dependingrack 10, which extends clear around the device.

The swings are mounted by means of a platform 11. which rests on therollers 5, and has circular tracks 12, to serve as a bearing thereon. Itis arranged to come inside ofthe vertical posts of the frame, and alsois cut out at the center leaving a circular hole 13. The rollers 7 bearagainst the circular wall about this hole. which will also be faced witha metal band 14.

`Thus the platform is supported and held in place in an anti-frictionmanner on the frame. The swings themselves are suspended from framework,consisting in inner and outer uprights 15 and 16 respectively, con*nected together at the top by means of braces 17, and serving to mountthe rock shafts 18 and 19.

The swings have bodies 20, with four pivoted arms 21, one at eachcorner, the front pair for each body being connected fast to a shaft 18,and the rear pair of each body connected fast to a shaft 19.

The shafts 18 have large gears 18a mounted loosely thereon, and theshaft 19 has like gears 19- mounted loosely thereon, the gearing beingonly at the outside for each swing. The shafts 18 and 19 have fastthereon, and located between the swings and the gears 18a and 19a, theratchet wheels 18b and 19h. These ratchet wheels revolve with the rockshafts, so that every time the swings are moved, the rock shafts willrock first in one direction and then in the other, both shafts swingingin the same direction, and the ratchets will have a like movement.

O11 the gears 18a are located spring pawls 22, which enga-ge theirratchets 18b when they are moving in a clockwise direction. On the gears19a are pawls 23 which engage their ratchets 19b when same are moving ina counter-clockwise direction. By this arrangement, when the swings aremoved in one direction the gears 18EL are revolved in a clockwisedirection, and when they are moved in the other direction the gears 19are revolved in a counter-clockwise direction Cil The two gears 18a and19a mesh with each other, and the gears 19a have secured to them, butalso loose on the shafts 19, the smaller gears 24,., An additional shaft25 is mounted in the frame of each swing, this shaft having a gear 25 tomesh with the small gear 24: in each device. As a result when the gears18a revolve under the pawl and ratchet drive, they revolve the gears 19ain their normal driving direction, with Vthe pawls slipping over theratchet. Vhen the gears 19a are driven directly by their pawl andratchet drives, they still revolve in the same direction, so that nomatter which way the swings are moving the shafts 25 always revolve inthe same direction.

These shafts 25 have gears 26 on their outer ends which mesh with thelarge circular rack on the fixed portion ot the frame, so that the swingtrames are caused to revolve varound the center pole, carrying theplatform with them.

Any one of the swings or all of them operating together can help thisrevolving action, and any one of the swings may hang still in a verticalposition While the platform and swings are revolved, since the pawlswill merely slip over their ratchets, as the platform is only energizedin but one direction.

It will be evident that my device is one of simple character, withoutany small parts which might get out of order or break, and that itis'well adapted for use ot children in public playgrounds, for whichpurpose I have especially designed it. The merrygo-round eiect will addgreatly to the pleasure or` the persons swinging, and where a number ofthe swings are occupied some can stand still without blocking themovement ot' the platform about its axis.

rlhere may be as many swings as desired, and the various structuralfeatures may be modified without departing from the spirit of myinvention which l will state in my claims.

Having' thus described my invention, what.

l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In combination with a trame having a circular rack mounted thereon, acarrier revolving on said trame, a swing device mounted on the carrierand adapted to swing to and tro when energized by an occupant, and apair of shafts secured to the swing device and rocking with the swing,each sha-tt having a ratchet thereon, a gear, driven by said ratchetsand meshing with the circular rack, one of said ratchets engaging in theopposite direction from the other to drive the last mentioned gear inone direction only.

2. ln combination with a frame having a circular rack mounted thereon, acarrier revolving on said frame, a plurality of swing devices mounted onthe carrier and adapted to swing to and fro when energized by anoccupant, a pair of shafts secured to each swing device and rocking withsaid swings, said shafts having gea-r and ratchet trains including gearsto mesh with the circular rack, and cach gear and ratchet train beingarranged to drive all rack meshing gears in the same direction.

HERMAN SPECK.

